Apparatus employed in the cutting of weft pile fabeics



(No Model.)

0. DREY. APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE, CUTTING 0F WEFT PILE FABRICS.

No. 445,620. Patented Feb. 8,1891;

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- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR DREY, .OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE CUTTING OF WEFT PILE FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,620, dated February 3, 1891.

Application filed April 29, 1890. Serial No. 349,963. (No model.) Patented in England February 26, 1889, No. 3,399; in France November 27,1889,No.202,260: in Belgium November 27, 1889, No. 88,683; in Spain December 20,1889, No. 10,347, and

in Italy January 17, 1890, XXIII, 26,655, and LII, 291.

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, OSCAR DREY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Manchester, England, have invented new and useful 1 mprovemcnts in Apparatus Employed in the Cutting of Weft Pile Fabrics, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, dated February 20, 1889, No. 3,399; in France, dated November 27, 1889, No. 202,200; in Belgium, dated November 27, 1889, No. 88,633; in Spain, dated December 20,1889, No. 10,347, and in Italy, dated January 17, 1890, Registro Generale, Vol, 28, No. 26,655, and Registro Attestati, Vol. 52, No. 291,) of which the following is a specification.

The improvements relate to apparatus designed for use in the cutting of weft pile fabrics, such as velvets, velveteens, cords, and the like, and have for their object the attainment of a more continuous cut throughout the length of the piece, and consequently a more rapid operation than when a reciprocal action is given either to the piece or the cuttingknife. To accomplish this and to effect my improvements I form the piece of pile fabric desired to be cut into an endless web by joining the two ends thereof together. The 010th thus arranged is drawn forward for cutting purposes by means of a roller or rollers driven by hand or power against a knife or knives, which may be the ordinary fustiancutting knives or a modification thereof, or other knives, and may be held by one or more operators, or if found desirable automatically in fixedor movable supports attached to the machine and which allow sufficient play. Guide-rollers are placed at suitable intervals for guiding the web or cloth on its journey, which, after the cutting operation, passes back underneath the cutting-level.

For taking up the length of the cloth into reasonable space I provide an apparatus somewhat similar to an ordinary plaiting or folding machine, but, with an apparatus attached forturning over the folded cloth, so that the same may be readily again drawn from the folds at an upper surface. This Iaccomplish by means of two traveling bands, webs, or lattices, one over the other, by preference working horizontally. The upper of these or automatic guiding, as shall be found most desirable, and the operation of cutting is thus rendered continuous in one direction by the drawing roller or rollers and folding apparatus taking direct motion.

The drawing or other roller or rollers employed may be smooth or roughened, or both combined, as may be found most convenient, and the apparatus may or may not be provided with means for throwing the knife or knives out of gear when an obstruction is presented or when they penetrate or otherwise damage the cloth; but, that the improvements may be better understood, I Will, by the aid of the accompanying drawing, proceed more fully to describe means employed by me.

The drawing shows a longitudinal sectional elevation of apparatus arranged in accordance with my improvements, whereina dis the main framing of the machine, and b b is the web of cloth to be out. The cutting process or application of the knife is made on the upper surface by preference between b andb c c are guide-rollers for carrying or guiding the cloth in its travel through the machine.

d is the drawing-roller, mounted 011 the first-motion shaft and driven by the drivingband to passing overthe driving pulley to, which with the nip-roller 6 draws the cloth forward in the direction of the arrow. The cloth then passes over the roller f and between the driven rollers g g. These rollers g g, be ing mounted on the rocking arms 9 g and caused to oscillate to and fro, plait or fold the cloth on the traveling web or lattice it some what in the manner of a plaiting or folding machine.

The apparatus for turning over and carrying forward the folded cloth consists of the traveling web or latticej, mounted on rollers Z Z, which web or lattice receives the cloth from the upper Web 76 70, mounted on the rollers Z Z, and both have a constant slow motion given thereto by ratchets s and train of toothed-wheel gearing s s 8 .9 as shown. The actuating-pawl s of the ratchet s is pivoted on a rocking lever 29, actuated by the eccentric t and rod mounted on the second-motion shaft. The web orlattice j, carrying the folded cloth, is extended beyond and to clear the upper Web, so that the cloth lying thereon is free to be again unfolded and may then pass between or over such tension-bars, as m m, or rollers, as are found requisite for the weight of cloth under operation. Any further suitable tension may be employed at such point as is found necessary. Motion is given to the rocking or plaiting apparatus in this example by means of the crank o and link 19, operating the rocking arm g; but this rocking or plaiting motion may be accomplished by any mechanically equivalent means.

The rollers g 9 have motion given thereto by means of suitable driving-straps 7s and r, the former connecting the pulley '0 with the pulley w and the latter connecting the pulley w with a pulley or wheel to at the end of one gear the first and second motion shafts together, as shown.

Variations in detail may be made without departing from thepeculiar character of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- The combination, with a plaiter, of a traveling surface upon which cloth is deposited in folds by the said plaiter, and an opposing traveling web havingv guide-rollers Z, upon which the folded cloth is, allowed to fall and by which it is turned over, all substantially as herein set forth.

OSCAR DREY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM GADD, GEORGE FREDERICK GADD. 

